8 Ways America is Missing Out: Why a Federal Permitting Pathway for Open Ocean Aquaculture Is Urgently Needed

Eight years. Twelve federal and state agencies. One net pen.
 
That’s what it took for the first open ocean aquaculture demonstration project in U.S. federal waters to receive approval this year — underscoring just how difficult it is to grow a competitive aquaculture industry in America without a clear federal permitting pathway.
 
As Congress considers bipartisan legislation to advance open ocean aquaculture in U.S. federal waters, Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) today launched a new campaign highlighting the urgent need for a clear, predictable federal permitting pathway to expand American aquaculture.
 
The campaign will run throughout October in recognition of National Seafood Month, an annual celebration of the importance of sustainable seafood and its value to American communities. Learn more about the “8 Years, 8 Ways America is Missing Out” campaign here.
 
Throughout the month, SATS will use its social media channels to spotlight eight areas where America is missing out on the benefits of a robust domestic aquaculture industry: seafood production, food security, economic opportunity, coastal communities, American agriculture, innovation and U.S. investment, sustainability and climate resilience, and U.S. competitiveness.
 
“There is growing bipartisan recognition in Congress that expanding American aquaculture is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss,” said Drue Banta Winters, Campaign Manager of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS). “The U.S. has the science, technology and resources to sustainably grow more seafood in our own waters, complement our wild-capture fisheries and strengthen our domestic seafood supply. But eight years to move a single demonstration project through the permitting process underscores why a clear, predictable federal pathway is urgently needed to support growth of U.S. aquaculture.”
 
The U.S. ranks 20th globally in aquaculture production and imports up to 85% of its seafood. With no commercial aquaculture projects operating in federal waters, the U.S. is falling behind as countries around the world continue to invest in and expand their aquaculture production.
 
The campaign launches at a critical moment, as Congress actively considers the bipartisan Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act (S. 2586/H.R. 9802), legislation that would establish a science-based framework to advance commercial-scale open ocean aquaculture demonstration projects in U.S. federal waters.
 
Regulatory barriers cost the U.S. aquaculture industry an estimated $807 million in lost economic value in 2023 alone, according to a May 2026 report from the Virginia Cooperative Extension, a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments.
 
“There has never been a greater opportunity for Congress to give American aquaculture the clear pathway it needs to grow,” Winters concluded. “This is about more than producing more American-raised seafood for American families. It’s also about American jobs, food security, innovation and our ability to compete globally. America can’t afford to wait another year. The time for congressional action is now.”
 
Learn more about the opportunities for American open ocean aquaculture here.